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Friday, December 23, 2016

Admittedly, this isn’t the freshest bit of news, but since
it came out a few days ago, I haven’t stopped thinking about it for more than a
couple of minutes. After he floored me with Arrival and
wowed me with that brief Blade Runner 2049 teaser trailer, I
keep saying that I hope director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners) continues to splash around in
the science fiction end of the pool. And it looks like he may do just that.
Reports say he could helm an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s legendary sci-fi
novel Dune.

Legendary scored the rights to Dune just
before Thanksgiving, and Variety reports that Denis Villeneuve is in early
talks to take the helm. God damn, that’s good news. I mean that for fans of the
book, fans of great science fiction, and fans of movies that generally kick all
of the ass. Let’s all hope this comes to pass.

Since it was first published in 1965,
Dune has become one of the most influential sci-fi novels of
all time. Spanning dozens of books, the franchise is still growing as Herbert’s
son Brian Herbert continues to contribute to the expansive world his father
created.

Set in the distant future, Dune tells the
story of Paul Atreides, a young noble whose family takes control over the
desert planet Arrakis, which produces spice, a coveted, valuable commodity.
After his family is betrayed, Paul leads a rebellion to reclaim his rightful
place.

An epic work, in Dune, Herbert created a sprawling
universe of disparate worlds, family rivalries, and explores themes of
religion, declining empires, environmental destruction, gender dynamics,
resistance to oppression, and more. All of which makes the story remarkably
current.

David Lynch adapted the seemingly unadaptable
Dune in 1984, and though it’s attained a bit of a cult
status, the film is largely derided by fans of the book. (Watch Jodorowsky’s
Dune for a chronicle of groundbreaking director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s
attempts to bring the novel to the screen—oh, what could have been.) In 2000
SyFy (then the Sci-Fi Channel) produced a miniseries.

Since 2008, there’s been a new push for adaptation, with directors
like Pierre Morel (Taken) and Peter Berg (Deepwater
Horizon) attached at various points. None of those have come to
fruition, but holy shit the idea of Denis Villeneuve directing
Dune is an enticing one indeed. He has a handle on the scope
and size required, but also tension and thematic density that’s so integral to
the story. I really, really hope this happens.